7.02.2016

L'apéro

At first, I
thought it was the airport. But that's l'aéro.L'apéro – with a “p” – loosely
translates from French as 'the cocktail hour."

There was a
time in the United States - the 1950s and 1960s - when people gathered at one
another's homes for cocktails. It was the thing to do. Perhaps, pre-dinner, or
pre-theater (with dinner after the show), or simply just for cocktails.

Mark and I, with
a few friends in Maine, tried to revive the tradition in the aughts but
something went terribly wrong. It turned into dinner and a four-hour
commitment. Never the plan, but always fun.

The French
have made an art form of l'apéro, and everyone invited knows the rules. A drink
(or two), a few nibbles, and then you are on your way. An hour or so...

Not too much
of a commitment... like speed dating, in a sense.

The beverages
for l'apéro vary. It could be Pastis, Lillet, Campari-soda, any number of
cocktails, or a special bottle of wine.

The food also
varies, from a simple bowl of nuts or olives, to a plate of hors d'œuvres made
by the host.

It's a
pleasant way to entertain without the stress of a full meal.

After all, it's
about being with friends, sharing stories, and a few laughs. (I try to avoid
politics, as they can often sour the sweetest of drinks and, these days, they
are more frightening than funny.)

Today, for
l'apéro, I made some zucchini and shrimp fritters with a saffron mayonnaise.
And, as we are in the thick of our hottest part of summer, I chose a perfectly
chilled bottle of Château Miraval's 2015 rosé. To read more about the wine and
food pairing, please visit the Provence WineZine.

«Cin-Cin!»

~ David

Zucchini and
Shrimp Fritters, Saffron Mayonnaise

8 ounces
small zucchini

salt

8 ounces raw
shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large egg

2 tablespoons
flour

2 tablespoons
milk

1 tablespoon
chopped fresh tarragon

olive oil,
for frying

saffron
mayonnaise, for garnish

3 or 4 chopped
fresh chives, for garnish

Grate the
zucchini using the large holes of a box grater into a colander lined with a
linen towel. Sprinkle with a little salt, toss, sprinkle with more salt, and
toss again. Set aside for 10 minutes to sweat.

Dice the
shrimp, and set aside.

In a medium
bowl, blend together the egg, flour, and milk. Using the linen towel, squeeze
the zucchini to release the accumulated water. Add the zucchini to the egg
batter along with the diced shrimp and the chopped tarragon.

Using a large
nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Use a
tablespoon to make the fritters, dolloping them directly into the heated oil as
you go. Flatten them with the back of the spoon. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook
for 2 minutes per side, or until deep golden brown. Remove fritters to paper
towels to remove any excess oil, then serve on a decorative platter. Top each
with a small dab of saffron mayonnaise, and sprinkle with a few chopped chives.
Wipe the skillet clean and repeat the process with new oil and any remaining
batter.

Makes 18
fritters, serving 4-6 friends for l'apéro.

Saffron
Mayonnaise

1 large egg

2 teaspoons
lemon juice

1 1/2
teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon
compacted saffron threads

3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon
salt

1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper

1 cup canola
oil

In the bowl
of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the egg, lemon juice,
mustard and saffron. Pulse to combine and let sit a minute. Add the olive oil,
salt, and pepper and pulse again to mix. Then, with the machine running, slowly
and in a very steady stream no wider than 1/8-inch, pour in the canola oil. By
the time the oil is used up, you should have a perfect mayonnaise. You will
need a couple of tablespoons for this recipe.

It can be
used right away, but if refrigerated for a few hours or overnight, the flavors
will meld and seem richer.

Refrigerate
the remainder for another use (it makes a great egg, potato, shrimp, or chicken
salad).

So the French call it l'apero! It's amagical moment and I try to celebrate it often. It’s like a cocktail party happily scheduled during those possibility-filled hours between work and dinner. What a romantic notion. GREG

Great and fun post! Did you like the Miraval? I found it a little dry/bitter. Beautiful bottle, though. I just made zucchini pancakes yesterday, but for a side dish to sausages. Never thought to make them as an hors d'oeuvres. Brilliant.

Interesting! As you likely know in the north, north east of Italy we have a similar tradition: the Aperitivo, which however is more of something people do in coffee bars, which in the late afternoon turn into cocktail bars + snacks. The drinks are different, Aperol Spritz is the most famous one, and the nibbles are probably much less refined (but of course still delicious). Similarly, though, people stop for aperitivo between finishing work and having dinner. And, also similarly, sometimes aperitivos stretch to lasting a few hours, turning into the "Apericena" - which is actually a bad word to many Italians who really like to keep it short and go for dinner!

As I was mentioning in my comment on Instagram, I'm very familiar with this flavor combination: shrimp-zucchini-saffron (as a pasta sauce or in risotto) - I must try making these fritters soon, they look fantastic!

Absolutely delightful! I love the idea of gathering together at the end of a day just for a glass or maybe two, with a few bites. The French get it!Love your appetizer bites too.This is my first visit to your blog. I really like it. I will be back.Velva

David, that sounds delicious! But it is true, people here don't seem to know "the rules!" That's why I always recommend putting an end time on the event. For example: "David, we're having a few people over for drinks on Friday from 5:30 to 7:00 before we leave for an engagement at 7:30. Can you and Mark pop in on your way to dinner?" Your fritters and saffron mayo look amazing!

Thanks, Jean - that is a great suggestion! I find that my friends who are of an earlier generation pay attention, and leave at exactly the appropriate hour - your way to train the younger generation is brilliant.

David, looks like you are spending wonderful times with friends all the while celebrating the "apéro"!This post is all about those lazy, hazy,"crazy" days of summer...always amazing...Liebe Grüße aus Bonn,Andrea

The Europeans certainly know how to do things right. A drink or two with friends before dinner is such a nice way to end the busy part of the day. Your fritters would be the perfect little snack to serve and I'm going to "steal" your saffron mayo recipe. :)